What Antibiotics Can You Take For Chlamydia

Testing And Treating Sexual Partners

If you test positive for chlamydia, it’s important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you’ve had are also tested and treated.

A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.

Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection .

The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.

Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021 Next review due: 01 September 2024

What Happens If I Get Chlamydia When Im Pregnant

• Chlamydia during pregnancy has been associated in very rare cases with problems such as premature birth, and infection of the uterus lining after the birth.
• It can be passed to the baby during the birth and before the baby is born. This can cause inflammation and discharge in the babys eye and/or pneumonia.
• You may be offered a chlamydia test as part of your antenatal care.
• Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics when youre pregnant and when youre breastfeeding. The antibiotics wont harm the baby, but do tell the doctor or nurse that youre pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Youll be advised to have another test after you complete your treatment.

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How Does Chlamydia Treatment Work

Chlamydia treatment works by stopping the bacteria that causes chlamydia from producing an important protein which it needs to multiply. This stops the bacteria from growing and replicating, so your symptoms should improve as your body is cleared of chlamydia.

The first line treatment for chlamydia in the UK is doxycycline. The usual dose is one tablet to be taken twice daily for 7 days. You can swallow doxycycline tablets whole with water and take them with or without food. You should sit up for about 30 minutes after each dose to prevent symptoms of throat irritation or stomach upset.

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Best Over The Counter Antibiotics For Chlamydia

In order to get best over the counter antibiotics for chlamydia, you should onsult your doctor, your doctor will not turn his back on you, often time you might not get rid of Chlamydia by going to counter medication. Sometime you may have false positive chlamydia test result, so it is better to consult doctor. Moreover if you fail to treat this disease you might end up with PID which is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and then you will also consult your doctor and by that time things will be worse. So the best thing is to go to a doctor if you notice the symptoms. But if you must use, then go for Amoxicillin, azithromycin, erythromycin, Doxycycline, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin. But always consult your doctor before taken the pills.

When Should You Test For Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia At Home

If youve recently had unprotected sex or potentially been exposed to gonorrhea or chlamydia, you may think that its important to get tested immediately. But taking an STD test too soon could actually lead to inaccurate results. Why? STDs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia will not be detectable in your system immediately following exposure. If you take a test too early, you may get a false negative result.

So how long should you wait to get tested for STDs? Every STD has a unique incubation period, which is the amount of time that it takes for the STD to be detectable in your system. The incubation period for chlamydia can range from 7 days to 21 days, whereas the incubation period for gonorrhea is up to 14 days.

Therefore, it is best to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea two to three weeks following the initial exposure. If you take a test within the first two to three weeks following exposure, its best to get tested again after several weeks to ensure your initial results were accurate.

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Condom Use During The Treatment Period

• Avoid having sex without a condom during treatment because the infection can still be transmitted. Use condoms for 7 days after the start of treatment and until 7 days after all current sexual contacts have been treated.
• If you are on a combined oral contraceptive pill, use a condom for 14 days when having sex, as antibiotics can affect the reliability of the contraceptive pill.

After completing the treatment, phone your doctor or return to the clinic for a follow-up after 3 months to check you have not been re-infected.

Women Problems Of Neglected Chlamydia

Some women develop PID, an infection that can harm the uterus, cervix, and ovaries. PID is a painful condition that typically calls for hospital therapy.

Ladies can likewise become sterile if chlamydia is left without treatment since the fallopian tubes may end up being scarred.

Pregnant females with the infection can pass the bacteria to their children throughout birth, which can create eye infections and pneumonia in infants. How Long Do You Have To Take Antibiotics For Chlamydia

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Concerned You May Have Chlamydia Check Your Symptoms For Free And Chat With A Doctor For Just $23

Always follow the directions from your doctor or pharmacist for taking azithromycin.

Azithromycin is taken as a single dose, one time.

It should be taken as soon as you receive the prescription. Azithromycin can be taken with or without food, however, the extended-release form is typically taken on an empty stomach.

If you take the liquid form, shake it well before using and use a dosing spoon to measure an accurate dose. If you are prescribed the powder, mix it with water according to directions.

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Will I Need To Go Back To The Clinic

If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic.

However, you will be advised to go back for another chlamydia test if:

• you had sex before you and your partner finished treatment
• you forgot to take your medication or didn’t take it properly
• your symptoms don’t go away
• you’re pregnant

If you’re under 25 years of age, you should be offered a repeat test for chlamydia 3 to 6 months after finishing your treatment because you’re at a higher risk of catching it again.

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What Can Be Done To Prevent The Spread Of Chlamydia

• Limit your number of sex partners
• Use a male or female condom
• If you think you are infected or have been exposed, avoid any sexual contact and visit a local sexually transmitted disease clinic, a hospital or your doctor. Either bring your sex partners with you when you are treated or notify them immediately so they can obtain examination and treatment.

Chlamydia Can Sometimes Go Away On Its Own

Some diseases and infections can go away on their own, so its not surprising that people wonder: does chlamydia go away on its own? The truth is, it sometimes does. In about 20% of people who have no symptoms, chlamydia may resolve spontaneously without treatment. It means that under certain circumstances host immune responses can control chlamydia naturally.

Untreated chlamydia can go on without any symptoms for a long period of time. Thats why its so important to get tested and catch it early. When chlamydia isnt treated, it can cause a number of serious complications. In women, the infection can spread to the uterus and uterine tubes, while in men, it can spread to the prostate gland. Chlamydia can also cause reactive arthritis, which affects your joints and eyes.

When chlamydia isnt treated, it can cause a number of serious complications.

Some people claim that chlamydia can be treated with home remedies like garlic and turmeric, but these methods are unproven and should be avoided. The only proven cure for chlamydia is treatment with antibiotics, which usually clear up the infection in a week or two.

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Azithromycin Vs Doxycycline For Chlamydia

Azithromycin and doxycycline are the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat chlamydia.

While azithromycin is prescribed in a single, one-gram dose taken orally, doxycycline is typically prescribed in a 100-milligram dose taken orally twice a day for seven days.

A 2014 meta analysis of 23 studies found that doxycycline had a slightly higher efficacy compared with azithromycin.

However, other research suggests that treatment with a single oral dose of azithromycin appears to be as safe and efficacious as a seven-day course of doxycycline for the treatment of uncomplicated genital chlamydial infection.

Talk to your healthcare provider about which medication is best for you.

What Can Happen If Chlamydia Is Not Treated

Chlamydia is a bacterial sexually transmitted disease that is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Like any other sexually transmitted disease, it is transmitted through unprotected sex and is most common in individuals with high risk sexual behavior. Chlamydia is most of the times left untreated as 80% women and 50% men are asymptomatic after Chlamydia exposure and whatever mild symptoms are experienced are either ignored or confused with other conditions.

The symptoms are usually noted after 2 to 3 weeks of exposure to the bacteria. In women, they present as abnormal vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding from vagina or rectum, pain during sex, dysuria, pain or itching of the vagina or vulva, pelvic pain and sometimes sore throat. In men, it might present as discharge from penis, pain or burning on urination, swollen testicles, and/or itching, burning, redness, pain or erythema of the head of the penis, rectal pain or bleeding, also might cause sore throat and conjunctivitis.

Chlamydia is usually treated with antibiotics, mainly azithromycin, doxycycline or erythromycin.

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Just How Is Chlamydia Spread What Antibiotics Do You Take For Chlamydia

You can get chlamydia by having genital, anal, or oral sex with somebody who has chlamydia.

If your sex companion is male you can still obtain chlamydia even if he does not have an orgasm.

If youve had chlamydia and also were treated in the past, you can still obtain contaminated again. This can occur if you have unprotected sex with somebody that has chlamydia.

If you are pregnant, you can offer chlamydia to your infant during childbirth.

How Is Chlamydia Spread Once You Take The Antibiotics For Chlamydia Is It Gone

You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or foreplay with a person who has chlamydia.

If your sex partner is male you can still obtain chlamydia even if he does not climax.

If you have actually had chlamydia as well as were treated in the past, you can still get contaminated once again. This can occur if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.

If you are expecting, you can provide chlamydia to your child during childbirth.

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Male Complications Of Neglected Chlamydia

Male can additionally experience problems when chlamydia is left untreated. The epididymis television that holds the testicles in position may become irritated, triggering pain. This is known as epididymitis.

The infection can additionally infect the prostate gland, triggering a high temperature, unpleasant intercourse, and pain in the lower back. An additional feasible issue is male chlamydial urethritis.

These are just several of one of the most common issues of unattended chlamydia, which is why it is essential to get clinical attention right now. Lots of people who get treatment rapidly have no long-lasting clinical issues. Once You Take The Antibiotics For Chlamydia Is It Gone

Chlamydia Can Live In Your Gut And Reinfect You After Youre Cured

Doctors have known that chlamydia can reappear, but until now theyve been stumped as to how exactly it happens

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. Thankfully, its also curable. But new research suggests that for some people, curing chlamydia doesnt prevent reinfection, even if theyre not exposed to it again. Apparently the disease can live inside your gut, and reinfect you out of the blue.

Apparently doctors have known that chlamydia can reappear in cured patients for about 80 years, but theyve been stumped as to how exactly it happens. This study points out that, in many animals, chlamydia has been found to live in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, if gastrointestinal infection occurs in most hosts, the authors write, then it is very likely that gastrointestinal infection occurs in humans as well.

The study in question doesnt actually test this theory on any human beings. Instead it looks at data in animal models about reinfection, and the failure of certain drugs to treat chlamydia when it lives in the gut. From there, they propose that women who are infected with chlamydia could see the same kind of issues: the drugs theyre given might cure the disease genitally, but not gastrointestinally, leaving the bug to live inside waiting for the right time to strike.

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Chlamydia Signs And Symptoms In Male

Numerous men do not discover the signs of chlamydia. The majority of males have no symptoms whatsoever.

If signs do appear, its typically 1 to 3 weeks after transmission.

Some of the most typical signs and symptoms of chlamydia in men include:

• shedding feeling during peeing
• yellow or green discharge from the penis
• discomfort in the lower abdominal area
• pain in the testicles

Its also possible to obtain a chlamydia infection in the rectum. In this instance, the main symptoms are usually discharge, discomfort, and also hemorrhaging from this location.

Having oral sex with a person that has the infection elevates the danger of obtaining chlamydia in the throat. Symptoms can include an aching throat, cough, or fever. Its likewise possible to lug germs in the throat as well as not know it. Once You Take The Antibiotics For Chlamydia Is It Gone

Is Treatment Always Necessary For Chlamydia

Yes, treatment is necessary for chlamydia, particularly in women of childbearing age, because it reduces the risk of chlamydia-associated ectopic pregnancy, fertility problems, and the transmission of chlamydia to neonates during birth. In women, of all ages, chlamydia treatment reduces the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease.

In men, treatment for chlamydia stops them from infecting or reinfecting sexual partners with the bacteria.

Treat any person testing positive for chlamydia with a recommended course of antibiotics promptly. Delays in treatment have been associated with complications, such as pelvic inflammatory disease.

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What Can Happen If Chlamydia Isnt Treated

Untreated chlamydia can put your health at risk. Make an appointment with your provider immediately if you notice any symptoms of chlamydia, and get regular STI screenings to avoid complications later.

Complications of chlamydia for people with vaginas

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious condition that requires hospitalization. It can occur when an untreated STI, like chlamydia, damages your reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain. It can also cause an ectopic pregnancy,which is life-threatening for the fetus and potentially deadly for the mother or gestational parent, too.
• Pregnancy complications. An untreated infection can lead to pre-term delivery. Also, if youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection on to your newborn. Babies born with chlamydia may have pneumonia or conjunctivitis that could lead to blindness if not treated.

Complications of chlamydia for people with penises

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

• Epididymitis. Infection can spread to the testicles and the tube that carries sperm to your testicles , causing symptoms like pain, swelling and tenderness in your testicles.
• Reduced fertility. Chlamydia can harm your sperm, negatively impacting your ability to conceive.

Complications of chlamydia that can affect all genders

Untreated chlamydia can:

How Did I Get Chlamydia If I Didnt Cheat

You can get chlamydia if your partner had vaginal, oral or anal sex with someone who was infected and then had sex with you. People in relationships may have different ideas about what kinds of sexual contact counts as cheating, and this miscommunication can lead to infections. Communicate honestly with your partner about what sex youre having and what sex theyre having. Practice safer sex to reduce your risk of catching chlamydia, and get regularly screened to be sure.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

It can be embarrassing to talk about anything sex-related with your healthcare provider, including STI prevention. But your sex life is an important part of your health that your provider needs to know about to care for you. Not getting the treatment you need for chlamydia can pose serious risks to your health. Speak with your provider about getting regularly screened for chlamydia and other STIs to reduce your risks of complications. Practice safer sex to prevent the spread of chlamydia.

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